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Pryor Mountains Horse Drive
Wyoming
USA
The Pryor Mountains Ranch is an authentic working cattle and quarter horse ranch located in the Dryhead Canyon on the east slopes of the Pryor Mountains, south of Billings, Montana. We invite you to join us and experience a lifestyle you’ve only seen in the movies…. here you can experience your first real horse drive, cattle drive or brand your own calf and ride a trained cow horse.
The Bassetts have raised their horses in this country for most of their lives. They have always been able to winter them at the ranch, however, with the introduction of wolves into the area, and also with sightings of lions during the last few years, they started to experience killings of our colts over the winter. Therefore, it has become necessary to change the schedule by starting to trail these horses out of Montana and into Wyoming for the winter, and back into the ranch in Montana in the spring. We will trail the horses out of the ranch in the fall after all of the fall cattle drives, and we will trail the horses back into the ranch in the spring before the spring cattle drives.
Experiencing a Horse Drive is our main focus. These drives will cover 15 miles per day on our long days and 6-8 miles a day on the shorter days. You’ll be riding between the Pryor Mountains and the Big Horn Mountains along the old Sioux trail or across open grassland prairie like the Indians did 500 years ago. We like to stop and take time to enjoy the historic sites near the ranch so everyone can learn about the buffalo jump or picturegraph writings and old homesteads. We enjoy teaching the lost art of roping and will teach any of our guests who would like to learn how to hold, coil, and throw a rope.
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Meeting:
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Airport or Rimrock Inn in Billings
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Airport:
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Billings MT
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Transfer:
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Billings Airport or Rimrock Inn at 4 PM. Return the following Saturday at around 3- 4 p.m.
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Riders:
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Min
6 riders
Max
12 riders
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Trip Rating
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Rates and Dates for 2010
Rates include:
Accommodations, all meals, 5 riding days, taxes
| A | 2010 | 7 day Trip, AP Horse Drive Week | 7d / 6n | $1700 |
| Extra night hotel in Billings per room | $75 |
| Private cabin upgrade Single | $150 |
| Private cabin upgrade / per couple | $200 |
| B | 2010 | 7 day Trip, AP Horse Round Up and Drive | 7d / 6n | $1700 |
| C | 2010 | 8 day Trip, AP with 2-day Mini Horse Drive | 8d / 7n | $1575 |
| Private cabin upgrade / per couple | $200 |
| Single supplement for last night hotel | $45 |
| Extra night hotel in Billings per room | $75 |
| Private cabin upgrade Single | $150 |
Minimum Deposit:
~$500.00
per person
Transfer Option:
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2010
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Transfer from Billings airport or Rimrock Inn at 4 PM
- to be paid locally
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$125
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Transfer pickup time is 4:00 p.m. at Billings International Airport or Rimrock Inn on Sunday with return the following Saturday afternoon around 3-4 p.m.
Tour Dates
Check here for details and availability
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| A |
2010
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04/11
- 04/17
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7d / 6n
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7 day Trip, AP Horse Drive W...
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6
/12
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Reserve
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| A |
2010
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04/18
- 04/24
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7d / 6n
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7 day Trip, AP Horse Drive W...
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6
/12
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Sold Out
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| C |
2010
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05/23
- 05/30
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8d / 7n
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8 day Trip, AP with 2-day Mi...
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6
/12
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Reserve
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| C |
2010
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06/20
- 06/27
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8d / 7n
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8 day Trip, AP with 2-day Mi...
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6
/12
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Reserve
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| C |
2010
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07/18
- 07/25
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8d / 7n
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8 day Trip, AP with 2-day Mi...
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6
/12
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Reserve
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| C |
2010
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08/15
- 08/22
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8d / 7n
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8 day Trip, AP with 2-day Mi...
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6
/12
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Reserve
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| A |
2010
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10/31
- 11/06
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7d / 6n
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7 day Trip, AP Horse Drive W...
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6
/12
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Reserve
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Rates do not include:
Gratuities, transfer
These spring and fall drives give experienced riders the thrill of watching a cavvy or horses move through beautiful high plains desert country as we trail horses from winter to summer pastures.
Each horse drive will move different horses. Sometimes we will trail baby colts with the mares, sometimes we will move young horses in training with cavvy horses who know the way and how to stay together. Sometimes we will move mares and studs to special pastures where they spend the summer season. Often we will move the horse cavvy that we pick our guest horses out of. Each requires a different level of experience and skill. A loose horse can outrun a saddle horse with a rider anytime so we will show you how to control a herd of horses and move them in a way where we can control them and take them where we want them without hurting the colts or running horses out of control. Western movies make it look like horses can run forever and that everyone runs everywhere but responsible horse people know that a walk or a canter are much more healthy and realistic.
The Horse Drive take three days and will cover 50 miles as we trail horses up Horse Thief Canyon through the Caroline Lockhart ranch into Deadman Creek and onto the Crow Indian Reservation.
We will pick you up in the afternoon on day one at the Billings, Montana, airport. We will then travel to the ranch. We will bunk each night at the ranch and eat breakfast and supper meals there while we drive to our horse cavy each day. We will trail these horses over the 45/50 miles back to our Wyoming winter pastures (reverse in the spring). We will return you to the Billings, Montana airport in the afternoon of the last day.
Spring Horse Drive
We will be gathering mares and colts so we can remove the colts and then trailing mares to spring pastures on the Pryor Mountains. Our second horse drive will be taking young potential riding stock and our fillies to our training facilities.
Fall Horse Drive
We will be trailing our horse cavvy and young riding stock to winter pastures three or four days and about 50 miles from the ranch. These pastures have not yet been purchased.
We furnish a pommel bag to keep your camera and gloves and hand warmers in along with other important items you might need as you are riding out all day, like snacks. Most riding days we will take our lunch as most of the time we are riding in terrain that does not allow our lunch suburban to come. We will stop several times each day so you can take pictures or remove a jacket or get things out of your pommel bag or just let everyone get off their horse and rest.
Working with horses is a wonderful thrill. We share this unique love with all of our guests that come to our ranch. All of us and all those guests who come to spend a week at our ranch in one way or another share the common bond of loving horses. The ranch offers some unique opportunities to see horses in their natural environment and work with them in a special way.
Sampple Itinerary Spring Horse Drive
SUNDAY: 4:00 PM Arrival. Meet everyone in the luggage area of the Billings, Montana airport. Drive to the ranch (takes three hours). Will eat supper at the ranch and get settled in your rooms. After supper we will have an orientation meeting so we can discuss the schedule for the week.
MONDAY: 7:00 Breakfast. 8:00 leave for Lovell. 9:00 rope out horses and saddle at the Lovell ranch. Go to wherever the mares have been on pasture (Copenhagen). Gather mares. Eat lunch. Head out the gate and through the Bentonite hills to Crooked Creek corrals where the mares will stay in the Brand Inspection corrals until Tuesday morning. Unsaddle horses and leave them in the corrals, put saddles in the truck. Feed hay and water horses. Visit the Devils Canyon Overlook on the way back to the ranch to eat supper.
TUESDAY: 7:00 Breakfast. 8:00 leave for Crooked Creek. 9:00 rope out horses and saddle. Brand Inspector will check all brands on mares. Leave the corrals by l0:00. Meet for lunch at the Devil’s Canyon Overlook area. Arrive at Hough Creek. Let horses drink at creek. Feed hay. Unsaddle horses and load saddles on truck. Visit the Carolyn Lockhart Ranch on the way back to the ranch to eat supper.
WEDNESDAY: 7:00 Breakfast. 8:00 leave for Hough Creek corrals. 8:30 rope out horses and saddle. Gather mares and head out the gate. Lunch at end of Lockhart Lane. Ranch by 4:00. Settle horses in pasture. Unsaddle horses. Free time if schedule allows. We have a great Buffalo Jump just down the Dryhead canyon within walking distance of the ranch. It is fun to dig for buffalo bones. Horsemanship tips from the cowboys will be available in the evening.
THURSDAY: 8:00 Breakfast. 9:00 leave for Cody. 11:00 arrival in Cody. Each person can decide the things they would like to see and do. We will have booklets available in the rooms that tell of the things going on around Cody. This is before the normal tourist season but the Museum is always open and there are several western stores and saddle shops in Cody. We will meet for supper about 5:00 and head home by 6:30. Arriving home at 8:30.
FRIDAY: 7:00 Breakfast. 8:00 rope out and saddle horses. 8:30 head out of the ranch to ride. We have lots to check out and look for: fences that are laid down by snow, ponds that should be getting full of run-off-water, grass availability, close gates all over the ranch, general well being of the whole place. We will ride back in for lunch and out again in the afternoon. If time permits we will have an additional Horsemanship sharing with the cowboys. Supper will be at 6:00. Video showing at 7:30.
SATURDAY: Saturday is a "getting ready to go home" morning. We eat breakfast as always at 7:00 and have time to pick up some things in our small ranch store as well as exchange goodbyes with the cowboys and other guests. We leave the ranch around 10:00 and have some time to visit several historic sites and get back into Billings between 1 and 3 PM.
Most of our guests stay at the Rimrock Airport Inn - let us know if you would like us to make the reservation for you ....
Subject to change
Meeting:
Airport or Rimrock Inn in Billings
Airport:
Billings MT
Transfer:
Billings Airport or Rimrock Inn at 4 PM. Return the following Saturday at around 3- 4 p.m.
Distance:
2.5 hrs drive
Transfer pickup time is 4:00 p.m. at Billings International Airport or Rimrock Inn on Sunday with return the following Saturday afternoon around 3-4 p.m.
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Tack:
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Western
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Horses:
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Quarter horses
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Pace:
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All paces, some long days in the saddle
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Walk |
Trot |
Canter |
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Level:
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(3
out of 5) Intermediate
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Weight:
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Max
220 lbs
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Riders:
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Min
6 riders
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Max
12 riders
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Adults only. All levels of riding will be experienced during each ride. Some riding experience is suggested. Trailing horses gives everyone a fast pace as well as time to walk. The days can be long and the weather will be variable. We will be riding in all types of terrain. Barren badlands, sage brush and rocks, mountains and canyons, grassland meadows and wide open spaces. All types of horses will be part of the herd we move: mares and colts, young stock, studs and fillies, guest cavvy horses and studs and mares. Each will have its own challenges and adventures.
Gathering & trailing over 100 head of brood mares and young horses. This drive will cover many miles a day and you’ll be riding between the Pryor Mountains and the Big Horn Mountains, along the Big Horn River. Along with moving whatever herd of horses we need to move that week we always stop and share the historic sites with our guests. There will be time to watch our cowboys work some of our young colts or sharpen their roping skills while we enjoy our evenings around the campfire. You are always welcome to participate and learn. Getting to know each other around a campfire is always a special treat.
No riding on Saturday- the last day. 5 riding days.
Passport and Visa Requirements:
Valid passport required by all nationals referred to in the chart ; validity varies - for most countries the passport must be valid for at least six months from the date on which the holder enters the. more
As always weather is unpredictable in the mountains. Be prepared for temperatures anywhere from the low 30's F(nights) to the high 70's F(days) during spring and fall. Snow is possible during the fall drives.
HTML clipboard
During the summer weather is quite dependable,
but in the mountain one needs to be prepared for all conditions, since
conditions can change in a very short time. May, parts of June, and parts of
September can have cool days. Warm jackets, spare riding pants and riding boots
are essential. We also recommend a wind and rain breaker and hat. Don't forget
your sunscreen!
Linens and
Towels are provided at the ranch. Bring some cash for gratuities or shopping in
the store (they do accept credit cards as well!), but cash is needed if you
choose to leave a tip.
We suggest that you bring clothes that will layer easily: long
sleeved shirts, vests, jackets, chinks or chaps, sweatshirts, cap or better
still a wide brimmed hat, gloves, wildrag or scarf, spurs, and of course your
camera. (we do rent a pommel packet with spurs, strap, scarf & water bottle for
$5.)
Standard equipment for riding are boots with a heel and perhaps hiking boots
when we are not riding. A rain slicker is a good idea or we also rent these. It
not only protects from rain but it is great for breaking the wind, if we have
some.
The ranch has a small ranch store with all sorts of items and gifts, so it's a
good idea to wait and see if you need it. How about sunscreen, chapstick,
gloves, slickers (no ponchos), pommel bags, chinks, cowboy hat, wildrags,
stampede strings, belts, S belt buckles, and several gift items for your return
home.
Instead of saddle bags we recommend pommel bags which fit over the saddle horm.
The ranch store stocks most items.
Because we are so remote it is impossible to
return to town to pick up extra items. If you don't have some of the items
mentioned above, we have a small ranch store, which carries most of these items.
In addition, if you don't want to purchase the items listed above, we have
rental items available for your convenience.
Bring your
guitar, if you want, and share our campfire. Brush up on your storytelling and
jokes --- getting to know each other is a #1 priority.
… this list is only a guideline for
you
- Travel documents and Voucher
- Flight tickets
- Passport
- Visa (check with your consulate)
RIDING
GEAR
- Two Pairs of Riding Pants
- Riding Boots
- Riding helmet (recommended for all
trips)- not available to rent, so please bring one if you choose to
wear one.
- Riding gloves
- Sun Hat or Stetson
- Rain Coat, Windbreaker- available to
rent
PERSONAL
CLOTHING
- Warm Sweater and Jacket
- Comfortable T-Shirts/Shirts
- Jeans
- Shorts
- Underwear and socks
- Pyjama
- Bag for dirty clothes
- Sneakers
ADDITIONAL THINGS TO BRING
- Personal Toiletries
- Moisturizing Cream
- Insect protection
- Personal medications
- Sore cream (for an emergency)
- Sewing kit
- Handkerchiefs
- Camera and enough extra film and
batteries
- Belt pack
- Address book and pen (for postcards!)
- Sun glasses with strap
- Sun tan lotion and lip balm
- Flashlight, extra Batteries
- Pocket Knife (not essential)
Sorry, no video is currently available for this tour.
*Important Notice: The following ratings have been submitted by guests and do not necessarily represent the views of Hidden Trails, its partners or employees.
Every care is taken to ensure accuracy but Hidden Trails is not liable for any errors or omissions.
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| Name |  |  |  |  |  |  | Date |
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cynthia rizzo
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5/3/2008
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lawrence smoller
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4/28/2008
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radoslaw marciniak
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11/25/2007
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claude bougeois
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11/24/2007
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..view other reports for different trips
During the time at the ranch you will stay in the bunkhouse, at a room in the ranch house or in one of the cabins. In the bunk house there are six comfortable western style guest rooms and a shared bathroom. The bunkhouse also has an inviting front porch to sit on and enjoy a quiet moment or share cowboy stories with other guests.
The ranch house has 3 rooms with shared bathroom. The small ranch house has a living room for the guests.
The cabins are reset and ready for guests. We have decorated them with old ranch pictures of guests and landscapes as the old blends into new.
Camping will depend on weather conditions and the majority vote of the guests that week. If we camp, we will stay in an authentic cow camp. We will have campfire meals and teepees to sleep in out under the stars. We furnish sleeping bags that have a pillow and blanket inside, we offer a camp cot.
We provide sleeping bags, foam pads, and cots, if they want one.
You spend the last night at a hotel in Billings (dinner is not included on this day).
Meals
Our guests eat three meals a day with the family and our cowboys in the cookhouse. Our ranch home-style meals are served with hot homemade breads. Each week we serve tender angus beef steaks, top sirloin roast, healthy vegetables, fresh salads, homemade desserts and lots of chocolate chip cookies for the kid in all of us. We promote beef on our ranch from pasture to plate. One of the meals we are famous for is our Indian Tacos, you can only eat one.
Our cook does a great job dealing with special diets. Please let us know if you have special food needs. Our meals are served buffet-style and several times a week we pack a lunch when we ride out all day to move and work cattle.
Adults only. All levels of riding will be experienced during each ride. Some riding experience is suggested. Trailing horses gives everyone a fast pace as well as time to walk. The days can be long and the weather will be variable. We will be riding in all types of terrain. Barren badlands, sage brush and rocks, mountains and canyons, grassland meadows and wide open spaces. All types of horses will be part of the herd we move: mares and colts, young stock, studs and fillies, guest cavvy horses and studs and mares. Each will have its own challenges and adventures.
Gathering & trailing over 100 head of brood mares and young horses. This drive will cover many miles a day and you’ll be riding between the Pryor Mountains and the Big Horn Mountains, along the Big Horn River. Along with moving whatever herd of horses we need to move that week we always stop and share the historic sites with our guests. There will be time to watch our cowboys work some of our young colts or sharpen their roping skills while we enjoy our evenings around the campfire. You are always welcome to participate and learn. Getting to know each other around a campfire is always a special treat.
No riding on Saturday- the last day. 5 riding days.
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Tack:
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Western
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Horses:
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Quarter horses
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Pace:
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All paces, some long days in the saddle
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Walk |
Trot |
Canter |
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Level:
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(3
out of 5) Intermediate
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Weight:
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Max
220 lbs
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Riders:
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Min
6 riders
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Max
12 riders
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Adults only. All levels of riding will be experienced during each ride. Some riding experience is suggested. Trailing horses gives everyone a fast pace as well as time to walk. The days can be long and the weather will be variable. We will be riding in all types of terrain. Barren badlands, sage brush and rocks, mountains and canyons, grassland meadows and wide open spaces. All types of horses will be part of the herd we move: mares and colts, young stock, studs and fillies, guest cavvy horses and studs and mares. Each will have its own challenges and adventures.
Gathering & trailing over 100 head of brood mares and young horses. This drive will cover many miles a day and you’ll be riding between the Pryor Mountains and the Big Horn Mountains, along the Big Horn River. Along with moving whatever herd of horses we need to move that week we always stop and share the historic sites with our guests. There will be time to watch our cowboys work some of our young colts or sharpen their roping skills while we enjoy our evenings around the campfire. You are always welcome to participate and learn. Getting to know each other around a campfire is always a special treat.
No riding on Saturday- the last day. 5 riding days.
Passports
Valid passport required by all nationals referred to in the chart ; validity varies - for most countries the passport must be valid for at least six months from the date on which the holder enters the USA. If not, the holder will be admitted until the expiration date on the passport; check with the embassy (see Contact Addresses).
Passport Note
(a) For nationals included in the Visa Waiver Program (see below), passports must be valid for at least 90 days from date of entry.
(b) All travellers entering the USA under the Visa Waiver Program require individual machine-readable passports. Children included on a parent's passport also now require their own machine-readable passport. Travellers not in possession of machine-readable passports will require a valid USA entry visa.
(c) Passports issued on or after 26 October 2005 will need to have a biometric identifier in order for the holder to travel visa free under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Machine-readable passports issued between 26 October 2005 and 25 October 2006 require a digital photograph printed on the data page or an integrated chip with information from the data page. Machine-readable passports issued on or after 26 October 2006 will require an integrated chip with information from the data page (e-passport).
The US has announced new measures that require all travellers to provide details online 72 hours prior to travel.
ESTA: The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) came into force on 12 January 2009. It is a fully automated, electronic system for screening passengers before they begin travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program. ESTA applications must be submitted at least 72 hours before travel to the USA. Some websites may charge you for the service but you can apply online for free at www.dhs.gov. The granting of an ESTA does not guarantee entry to the USA.
New Requirements for Travellers: As of 23 January 2007 all persons, including US citizens, travelling by air between the USA and Canada, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda are required to present a valid passport, or other approved document, when entering or re-entering the USA. Similar requirements for those travelling by land or sea will be introduced on 1 June 2009.
For further details about the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, visit the website of the US Department of State: (website: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html).
Visas
Not required by nationals referred to in the chart above for stays of up to 90 days except:
1. nationals of Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania and Slovak Republic, who do require a visa.
Visa Note
(a) Landed Immigrants of Canada and British residents of Bermuda who are citizens of, and have valid passports from, Commonwealth countries or Ireland are not eligible to enter the USA without a visa. (b) All passengers using US airports for transit purposes are required to obtain a transit visa. This does not affect qualified travellers travelling visa free under the Visa Waiver Program. (d) To qualify for visa-free travel under the Visa Waiver Program, nationals must travel on a valid passport, for holiday, transit or business purposes only and for a stay not exceeding 90 days. (e) Passengers must have the full address and ZIP code of where they are staying in the USA to be able to fully complete the I-94W form. Note: Airlines are also required to collect passenger details, including the address of their first night's accommodation in the USA, before they board the aircraft. (f) 2. Holders of UK passports with the endorsement British Subject, British Dependent Territories Citizen, British Protected Person, British Overseas Citizen or British National (Overseas) Citizen do not qualify for the Visa Waiver Program. A passport which states holder has right of abode or indefinite leave to remain in the UK does not qualify for visa free travel. (g) A visa does not expire with the expiry of the holder’s passport. An unexpired, endorsed visa in an expired passport may be presented for entry into the USA, as long as the visa itself has not been cancelled, is undamaged, is less than 10 years old and is presented with a valid non-expired passport, provided that both passports are for the same nationality. (h) Nationals of countries not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements (see Contact Addresses).
Types of Visa and Cost
Tourist, Business, Transit and Student: US$131.
Validity
Visas may be used for travel to the USA until the date it expires. Some visas are valid for multiple entries. The length of stay in the USA is determined by US immigration officials at the time of entry but is generally six months; there is, however, no set time.
Applications to:
Embassy or consulate (see Contact Addresses).
Working Days Required
Usually five after interview. Some cases may take up to 12 weeks – check with embassy/consulate.
| Passport Required? |
| British |
Yes |
| Australian |
Yes |
| Canadian |
Yes |
| USA |
N/A |
| Other EU |
Yes |
| Visa Required? |
| British |
No/2 |
| Australian |
No |
| Canadian |
No |
| USA |
N/A |
| Other EU |
1 |
| Return Ticket Required? |
| British |
Yes |
| Australian |
Yes |
| Canadian |
No |
| USA |
N/A |
| Other EU |
Yes |
This information is not being updated on a regular basis. Hidden Trails does not
take any responsibility for the accuracy of the above information. Please, consult
the embassy or consulate for updated info.
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Pryor Mountains Horse Drive
Tour Code:
HDMT01
7 days /
6 nights
~$1,700.00
Dates :
April, Nov
Trip Rating :
Difficulty :
Lodging:
Introduction
Day to Day Itinerary
Rates | Dates
Accomodation
Tack:
Western
Horses:
Quarter horses
Pace:
All paces, some long days in the saddl...
Walk,
Trot,
Canter,
Airport:
Billings MT
Location on Google Map
Image Gallery
Image Slide Show
Customer Trip Rating
Climate
What To Bring
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